Will Ferrell was one of the greatest cast members in the history of Saturday Night Live. But many viewers didn’t think he was funny on Monday during an appearance at the MLB Home Run Derby.
Netflix streamed the Derby for the first time, and as part of its broadcast, Ferrell and co-stars from his upcoming golf-centered show The Hawk were on hand to provide “humor” for the event in Philadelphia on July 13.
Ferrell, Luke Wilson, and Jimmy Tatro, who can be seen in The Hawk on Netflix, attempted to provide funny remarks as the Home Run Derby participants were introduced. But the jokes fell very flat, according to many who watched the program.
As much as we love Will Ferrell at SNL Rankings, we have to agree that much of the commentary from the former SNL cast member and his co-stars on the Netflix show during the HR Derby missed the mark. One viewer pointed out that some of the comments even got a little off-topic:
This wasn’t the first time Ferrell made an appearance on a diamond. In 2015 as part of a charity event that was filmed for a comedy short, Ferrell played for 10 MLB teams in the Cactus League in one day, making brief appearances in several games. That event was popular and more importantly, funny. But, the Home Run Derby commentary from Ferrell, Wilson, and Tatro has come under fire for being a distraction, and unfunny.
Likely one of the reasons many viewers are reacting poorly to Ferrell’s remarks is the fact that the appearance was wrapped up in a blatant promotion for a new show on Netflix. The streaming platform has already been criticized for its attempts at live sports programming. But the attacks on Ferrell may be influenced by the dislike for Netflix.
Baseball fans may have hated the way Netflix used a comedy legend like Ferrell for their broadcast of the MLB Home Run Derby, but there’s no question he’s one of the funniest people of the last 30 years. It’s just not a great idea to have silly, unfunny commentary during an event hardcore sports fans are anxious to see.
The ten-episode comedy series The Hawk starring Will Ferrell debuts on Netflix on Thursday, July 16, 2026.
